Outside of Alubarna.
Captain Smoker of the Marines stood, his gaze fixed on the ancient structures in the distance. A deep frown marred his forehead, the smoke from his two cigars curling angrily into the desert air. Last night, he got a chilling piece of information from Crocodile.
That guy had dropped a startling secret: a massive time bomb had been planted somewhere within the bustling heart of Alubarna. The former Warlord had offered a cynical bargain: release him, and he would reveal the bomb's location and deactivation codes.
Smoker, adhering rigidly to his own brand of justice, had refused point-blank. He would never negotiate with criminals.
Instead, he, along with his loyal subordinate Tashigi and the rest of his team, were now marching toward the capital. Their mission was no longer just about cleaning up the remnants of the Baroque Works mess; it was now a desperate race against time.
Their immediate priorities were clear: intercept Nico Robin, the Devil Child, and second, search the city for the explosive device before it leveled thousands of innocent lives.
The sun beat down relentlessly, mirroring the pressure building within the Marine Captain. The city was still several miles away when a sudden, powerful blast of wind whipped past Smoker's face, extinguishing one of his cigars. Sand kicked up all around them.
Smoker glanced up, his eyes narrowing into a fierce squint. Hovering impossibly in the clear blue sky, just above the reach of the desert floor, was a single figure. The man was young, dressed in a simple, dark outfit, looking down at the Marine contingent with an unnervingly calm smile.
"Monkey D. Zino!" Smoker spat the name like venom, instantly recognizing the figure who had previously beat him down...twice.
"Yo. We meet again, Smoker," Zino said casually, his tone light, but his eyes sharp. He descended down slowly on the stone pavement, his coat fluttering behind him.
Smoker's eyes narrowed. His eyes trailed Zino's movement. "Zino," he growled. "Are you here to stir up more trouble in Alubarna?"
At his side, Tashigi was already unsheathing her sword, ready to at any moment notice. Her gaze was focused, wary.
"Trouble?" Zino repeated, tilting his head with a faint smirk. "Actually, I'm looking for the one who is about to cause it. Have you seen Crocodile?"
Smoker's brows lifted, mildly surprised. "Crocodile? Why are you looking for him?"
"He's going to unleash something devastating here in the capital," Zino said, the smirk fading. "And I'm here to stop it."
Smoker stared, studying Zino carefully. "Crocodile's already been captured."
That halted Zino. His expression shifted to surprise. "You caught him?"
There was a flicker of pride behind Smoker's calm demeanor. He gave a curt nod.
Before Zino could respond, Smoker added, almost as an afterthought, "You wouldn't happen to know anything about explosives… a bomb hidden somewhere in Alubarna?"
It was a shot in the dark. But Zino's expression changed slightly. "A bomb? Something powerful enough to wipe out thousands of people?"
Smoker's cigar nearly dropped from his mouth. "You *do* know something."
Tashigi tensed beside him.
"Where is it?" Smoker demanded, almost commanding.
Zino didn't immediately answer. Instead, he studied Smoker with quiet intensity. "Tell me first," he said evenly, "how you managed to capture Crocodile. Then I'll tell you where the bomb is."
Smoker snorted, but still said, gruffly, "Someone betrayed him. Got close enough to slap a pair of Kairoseki cuffs on him before he could react. Caught him completely off guard."
"Betrayal?" Zino echoed, his brows twitching slightly. His mind ran through the possibilities… and one name stood out. Nico Robin. A strange expression flickered across his face.
"Crocodile… really unlucky, huh?" he muttered under his breath, more amused than sympathetic.
"Alright," he said louder. "I'll hold up my end. I don't know the exact trigger or wiring, but the bomb is hidden inside a clock tower."
"Clock tower?" Tashigi repeated.
Zino nodded. "I overheard it in passing. There's supposed to be one in Alubarna—tallest structure in the city. The perfect place to unleash a wide-scale explosion."
Smoker frowned, processing the intel. Tashigi beside him already looked toward the city's skyline, searching for any sign of the tower.
Zino crossed his arms and continued, "Well, since Crocodile's already in chains, things are simpler now. All that's left is the rebellion… and that bomb. What do you say—split up the tasks? You take one, I take the other?"
Smoker scoffed. "Tch. I don't need your help."
"Sure you don't," Zino replied with a faint smirk. "But you might want it."
Smoker narrowed his eyes. "Listen well—I *will* catch you. That's not negotiable."
Zino's eyes sharpened. "Only if you're strong enough."
That shut Smoker up. His jaw tightened, fists clenched at his sides, veins visible—but he didn't speak.
Zino then looked at Smoker, his expression sincere. He said, "I will go handle the rebels. If you have time, you can try to find the bomb and disarm it."
Smoker didn't reply.
Zino bowed his head slightly. "Please."
Tashigi blinked in surprise at the sudden humility.
Smoker narrowed his eyes, then turned his back with a grunt. "You don't need to ask. We're going to stop it regardless."
A small smile crept onto Zino's lips. "Good. Then I'll leave it to you. Good luck."
With a sharp burst of wind and a kick of his heel, he launched into the sky, disappearing into the distance in a blur of motion.
Tashigi stepped forward. "Captain, he…"
She stopped when she saw the look on Smoker's face—deep in thought, brows furrowed, lips drawn into a tight line.
For a moment, he simply stared at the horizon where Zino had vanished. Then, he turned and started walking again, coat billowing behind him.
"Let's go," he said curtly.
Tashigi nodded and fell into step beside him.
The race to save Alubarna had begun.
...
Inside the Royal Palace – Alubarna
The vast hall reverberated with the sharp screech of boots skidding against polished marble. Beneath the grandeur of gilded columns and glimmering chandeliers, Sanji and Mr. 2 Bon Clay were locked in a ferocious duel of kicks and pride, their movements as sharp and unyielding as blades.
Leather struck flesh. Bone met bone. The sheer force of each collision sent ripples echoing through the air.
Sanji gritted his teeth as he deflected another spinning kick, his muscles strained but unwavering. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his bloodstained lips. "Tch… You're persistent, I'll give you that."
Bon Clay landed with a flourish, striking a flamboyant pose, his arms spread wide and his fingers splayed as if framing his own radiance. "Persistent? Mon cher, I am the embodiment of elegance, passion, and fury! All wrapped up in one stunningly gorgeous Okama Way!"
Sanji exhaled sharply, shaking his head. A chuckle bubbled up, bitter but amused. "Elegance and passion? All I'm seeing is a drama queen who doesn't know when to quit."
As Bon Clay opened his mouth to retort, Sanji sprang forward, low and fast, a blur of motion. His leg lashed out in a seamless arc toward Bon Clay's feet. Too slow. Bon Clay vaulted upward, but in mid-spin, Sanji twisted his leg like a serpent striking its prey.
"Collier!"
His heel slammed into Bon Clay's side with precision, drawing a sharp gasp of pain.
"Nrgh!" Bon Clay stumbled back, a grimace tightening his painted face. But not for long. Eyes blazing with relentless resolve, he steadied himself and surged forward once more. His momentum exploded into a dazzling sequence of back kicks, each faster and heavier than the last.
Sanji braced himself, deflecting the first. Then the second. But the third—swift and vicious—slammed squarely into his stomach.
"Ugh!" The air rushed from Sanji's lungs as he staggered backward, skidding across the marble. He caught himself just before his knees touched the ground, his breathing ragged but his determination unshaken.
Bon Clay's laughter echoed through the hall—sharp, triumphant. "You like that? That's my signature move—Urame Kenpo!"
Sanji straightened, brushing dust from his vest with a calm that belied the fire whipping through his veins. He snorted. "Tch. Flashy, but I've seen better. How about I show you a real signature move?"
Before Bon Clay could respond, Sanji vanished—a blur of speed that seemed to dissolve into the air itself. Bon Clay's eyes widened, his jaw slackening in disbelief.
"Wha—?! You can fly?!"
Above him, outlined by the radiant chandelier, Sanji hovered effortlessly, his figure casting shadows across the ornate walls. A faint cocky smirk tugged at his bruised lips. "Nah... just a chef climbing to get the best angle for the perfect cut."
Saying so, he descended like a hammer, his leg cutting through the air in a deadly arc. Bon Clay dove aside at the last second, the impact of Sanji's kick detonating against the marble floor. Cracks spiderwebbed outward as pieces of tile exploded into the air.
"Close one," Bon Clay sneered, righting himself with a nimble spin. He surged forward, his movement a controlled storm of grace and power. "Let's see how you handle this!
Ushiro Geri!"
Sanji barely ducked under the sweeping back kick. The force of it sliced through the air above his head, ruffling his blond hair. Undeterred, Bon Clay used the momentum to twist mid-air, his leg arcing high in a perfectly executed Swan Arabesque. This time, the strike aimed straight for Sanji's head.
Sanji jerked up his forearm just in time to block the blow. The impact tore through his arm, rattling his bones and forcing him back a half step. His teeth gritted, his jaw tight, but his gaze never wavered.
"No more flashy moves," he muttered under his breath. "Let's end this."
With a burst of unrestrained speed, Sanji closed the gap, his footwork silent but deadly as he surged straight toward Bon Clay. Bon Clay's eyes gleamed with challenge. He spun into action, launching another flurry of rapid back kicks, each one executed with surgical precision.
Sanji dipped and dodged, his movements methodical as though dancing to a rhythm only he could hear. One kick whipped past his ear; he countered. A second grazed his side; he pivoted low. Then, with a surgical precision mirroring Bon Clay's own, Sanji slipped beneath the assault and retaliated with a sudden, sharp strike.
"Côtelette!"
Sanji's foot slammed into Bon Clay's ribs with thunderous force, the sound of the impact reverberating like a crack of lightning through the grand hall. Bon Clay's face twisted in pain, but he refused to falter. With a sharp gasp, he staggered in the air, twisting his body mid-flight like a dancer caught in the throes of their final performance.
Instead of hitting the ground, Bon Clay whipped himself into an elegant flip, planting one palm on the marble floor. From that precarious position, he pivoted sharply, transitioning into a punishing heel drop aimed squarely at Sanji.
Sanji's reflexes kicked in faster than Bon Clay's heel could descend. With a sudden burst of power, he kicked off the marble floor, using Geppo to soar skyward, his figure cutting a shadowy streak through the light of the chandeliers. With a kick, he descended—a streak of motion, sharp and deadly.
"Veau Shot!"
Sanji's foot came down with pinpoint precision, a blur of power and finesse as it smashed into Bon Clay's side. But Bon Clay used that momentum to spin on his back heel, his rising kick streaking upward in retaliation. The edge of his foot clipped Sanji's chin as the chef landed, forcing his head to jerk slightly to the side.
Sanji's jaw clenched, but he didn't flinch. The spark of pain only added fuel to the fire burning within him.
"Collier!"
With a blur of motion, Sanji retaliated, his leg flashing sideways like a blade. The kick met Bon Clay's neck with a sickening crack, sending him staggering to the side. Bon Clay stumbled but refused to fall, countering through sheer force of will. He lashed out yet again—a straight kick aimed at Sanji's chest with all the force left in his legs.
Sanji didn't retreat. Instead, he twisted his body just slightly as Bon Clay's attack came toward him. The toes of Bon Clay's boot skimmed past Sanji's chest—but in that moment of aggression, Sanji saw his opening.
"Nice try," he muttered under his breath, his eyes dark with intensity. Pivoting with the momentum of Bon Clay's strike, Sanji spun low, his leg snapping out in a tight arc.
"Gigot!"
His blow connected with Bon Clay's thigh in a devastating manner, crumpling Bon Clay's stance as his leg buckled beneath him. The Okama warrior groaned as his knees hit the floor. Sanji seized the opportunity to drive his knee upward.
"Poitrine!"
The blow to the chest knocked the wind out of Bon Clay, leaving him gasping. As he tried to stagger up for one last stand, Sanji appeared above him midair, twisting with deadly precision.
"Mouton Shot!!!"
The kick slammed into Bon Clay's shoulder with explosive force — sending him crashing backward into a support pillar, which cracked and collapsed with him.
Silence.
Bon Clay, bruised and broken, slumped to the ground, breathing raggedly — but with a faint smile on his face.
"You dance… pretty good, eyebrow-cook…" he rasped, before losing consciousness.
Sanji exhaled and lit a cigarette with shaking hands.
"Likewise… ballerina freak."
He turned, limping away as light filtered down through the broken ceiling.